Oedipus Rex
Oedipus Rex is one of the few surviving plays from ancient Greece. Written by Sophocles as the second of a trio of plays about King Oedipus and his family, Oedipus Rex is rife with the impact of following fate and choosing to exercise free will. The University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee’s theatre department takes an tale of ancient Greece and moves it to 300 years in the future where humans have reverted to being subject to the will of the gods. The city of Thebes is in turmoil because a horrible plague has descended upon it. King Oedipus vows to do whatever is needed to save the citizens. Word comes down from the gods that Thebes is dying because the murderer of the former King still resides in the city. When badgered into confessing, the blind seer, Tieresias, tells Oedipus himself murdered the former King. Oedipus will not believe it and thinks it is a conspiracy of his bother-in-law’s to usurp power. A series of stories from the gods reveal that Oedipus was told that he would murder his father and marry his mother, so he left his parents. Queen Jocasta reveals that she and the former King had a baby that the gods said would murder its father, so the former King banished the baby. Jocasta realizes first that everything the gods foretold has come to pass. Oedipus requires more persuasion and proof that he is his wife’s son. Director Tony Horne’s re-imagining of Oedipus Rex into the future puts the play into an interesting light. Disaster after disaster has moved people to revere Greek gods and visit the Oracle for guidance, instead of becoming more rational. Horne does not let this artistic choice impact the language of the play. It’s an affecting choice, although if the audience doesn’t read the program before hand they probably won’t notice the fast forward in time. The chorus provides commentary and also voices the inner thoughts that characters cannot say aloud. Choreographed by Shell M. Benjamin and orchestrated by Raeleen McMillion, the chorus is gorgeous and terrifying. Their movement and dance seem spontaneous and effortless. Andrew Edwin Voss shoulders an incredible responsibility as the title character. While adept and suitably heroic, one wishes he would express a few more emotions than just anger and impatience. Oedipus Rex is a classic play that UWM has made timeless. Its themes of fate versus free will present questions that may never be answered, which may be one of the reasons this particular play has become such an enduring dramatic work. UWM’s production certainly showcases the department’s talent and work ethic. Complete schedule and tickets for events in the Peck School of Arts can be found online at Footlights.
Mar 10th, 2009 by Russ Bickerstaff
The Neverending Story
The power of imagination overflows the Todd Wehr Theater when The Neverending Story arrived this weekend courtesy of First Stage Children’s Theater. The production crosses elements of fairy tale and science fiction while the story revolves around saving the land of Fantastica, which requires a chosen hero to be sent on a quest for the cure. The familiar novel by Michael Ende was adapted for the theater by David S. Craig and will recall for audience members several favorite movies, including one in 1984 directed by Wolfgang Peterson. Yet on this stage imagination demonstrates its power through every aspect of the production’s technical collaboration: scenic designer David Minkoff’s Zen-like circular steel stage with floor to ceiling silky curtains allows the audience to sink into Fantastica’s surreal nothingness with the cast. Lighting Designer Keith Parham creates larger than life creatures by shadowing the actors with white light against the black backdrop. Puppeteer/Props director Mark Hare together with costume designer Debbie Baer fashion mythical figures from the novel, both monstrous and miniature, with delight. All these technical supports give credence to Bastian’s fantasy that when reading, the mind transcends everyday life and sorrows. Bastian is struggling with the death of his mother, and Bastian’s alter ego, Atreyu, battles for the Child-Empress’s life to save Fantastica as Bastian battles real life bullies at school. The contrasting comedy and tragedy of the journey, including several incidents tinged with fright, sustain the tension to Atreyu’s great quest that Bastian eventually enters. Every adult actor expertly conveys several characters without a slip that adds to the performance’s seamless flow, which Director Jeff Frank moves at a pace with a clear crescendo. In the “Adventure Cast” for opening weekend, Mack Folkert imbues Atreyu with youthful wit and growing wisdom. Thomas Mazza captures Bastian visually as emotionally the lost boy gains confidence. While the production is recommended for children over six, adults will be attracted to the performance and ingenious theater elements, which portrays this magical world that emphasizes the pleasures of reading. Perhaps everyone will find appreciation for gnome Urgl’s remark, “Humans: most of all their youth have the power to see the truth.” What truth needs to be seen? That creativity inspires the answers to real life obstacles through wishing, dreams, fantasy, inventing and imagining, all acts of creating. Who first imagined the ipod, iphone or blackberry, this advanced means to communicate? Certainly never Franklin, Edison or Bell dreamed their now crude predecessors would reach such technological heights that might also detract from this formidable creative power. The enchanting production reminds the audience these key issues deserve consideration, because when each individual forgets to wish or imagine society will be swallowed by an empty void of reality, perhaps unable to find solutions to its burgeoning problems. This truth inhabits the extraordinary story of Bastian and Atreyu that First Stage retells, but also implies the 21st century’s neverending story. Complete schedule and tickets for this performance are available at Footlights online.
Mar 10th, 2009 by Peggy Sue Dunigan
Secrets of a Soccer Mom
Soccer Mom. It’s a term that crept into the American vernacular near the end of the twentieth century. It’s a woman who drives a mini-van or an SUV, visits Starbucks everyday and has an expensive cell phone that constantly ringing with calls about the PTA. She ‘runs errands’ every day of the week and manages her ‘schedule’ around her children’s athletic and extra-curricular activities. Right? Outwardly, that’s a generic description of Soccer Moms. The Boulevard Theatre’s Secrets of a Soccer Mom shows both the typical Soccer Mommian attributes as well as the deeper mysteries and enigmas of all those blond-highlighted women driving luxury mini-vans. Written by Kathleen Clark, Secrets of a Soccer Mom begins with three women meeting to play in a Mom vs Son soccer match. They agree to play poorly in order to let their third grade sons win. While waiting on the sidelines for their turn to rotate into the game they at first talk over classic Soccer Mom topics; the PTA, pizza day at school and field trips. As the day goes on, the three veer off from the pre-approved small talk subjects and delve into their innermost beings. As a result of exploring their pasts and presents, the three decide not to hand over a victory to their sons. Even though it looks like a silly suburban soccer game it turns into a personal battle for Nancy, Lynn and Alison. Alison, played by Marion Araujo, is at first not completely on board with playing badly. It comes out that she was an athlete before she got married. Her husband didn’t like her competing or playing on any kind of team. She sees the afternoon as a chance to leave the confines of her marriage behind; figuratively and maybe even literally. Araujo’s early enthusiasm seemed a bit contrived. However, she portrays Alison’s sincere yet naïve plans to run away in a simple and frank manner. As Nancy, Kathleen Williams outwardly seems incredibly archetypal. In a fleece and capris she chats with her fellow Soccer Moms while keeping an eye on her own children as well as others. It’s discovered that she ran in college and used to be a model. While Nancy loves her children with her entire heart, it’s obvious that she gave up much of who she was before she had them. Williams especially shines while flipping through a children’s picture book, pointing out her favorite characters and scenes as though it’s the latest Zadie Smith novel. While all three women hold their own in the Boulevard’s studio theatre, it’s really Brooke Wegner playing Lynn that steals the show. Lynn is a former social worker turned PTA-school volunteer-Soccer Mom. She organizes absolutely everything and still manages to keep up on her gossip and refrain from throttling her mother-in-law during Sunday dinner. Wegner seems to live two roles on stage; Public Lynn and Inner Lynn. Public Lynn chats, jests and conspires with her fellow Soccer Moms. While Inner Lynn rarely utters a word, Wegner’s expressions […]
Mar 10th, 2009 by Russ Bickerstaff
Board of Zoning Appeals
The Board of Zoning Appeals (BOZA) is in independent agency authorized to hear appeals in matters relating to all zoning ordinances and to review zoning ordinance interpretations made by the Department of City Development. Because the Board acts somewhat like a court, it is called a quasi-judicial body and is required to follow accepted procedures and to fairly evaluate the relevant facts in each case that comes before it. Board of Zoning Appeals meetings start at 4:00 p.m. and are held in the Room 301-B, City Hall, unless otherwise noted. Agenda
Mar 10th, 2009 by Dave Reid
The State of the City
Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett scored points by choosing the new Harley-Davidson museum as the setting for his State of the City address last month. The terrific new building, on the edge of the Menomonee Valley, served as an ideal backdrop for Barrett’s speech. Barrett is understandably proud of the progress made in redeveloping the valley. For years, this industrial corridor has been a festering sore symbolic of the economic and environmental damage left by Milwaukee’s manufacturing past.
Mar 9th, 2009 by Ted Bobrow
Superheroes
There are two questions that plague me about the movies. One is: Why do we need love stories? Why is romantic love so basic to our cinematic literature? I tend to think that it is all about procreation and part of an elaborate mating ritual, but I am told that just asking the question makes me a cynic and I’m not sure I am ready to be thusly compartmentalized. The other is: Why super heroes? In the past year alone we have had Iron Man, Batman, The Hulk, Hancock, Hellboy, Bolt, and now Watchmen. Before that came Spiderman, but he ran his course a few years ago. I suspect the Fantastic Four will return and apparently the Last Stand of the X-Men was not, literally, a last stand. And if the endings of Iron Man and The Hulk are to be believed there will be more to come out of that Ultimate Alliance. The answer at an economic level is obvious: They make a lot of super hero movies because people go to see super hero movies and therefore they make a lot of money making super hero movies. Somebody started it and if Hollywood is good at anything it’s jumping on whatever bandwagon is making money. But as a social anthropologist, I wonder what it is about our society that pushes us to need super heroes to play so prominent a part in the culture. A friend once answered that question with, “Well, with our politicians so obviously worthless we need someone strong to look up to.” The man definitely has a point. For the last eight years at least, the perception has been that the leaders of our country, the politicians, are far from heroes. And before that, Bill Clinton, it turned out, was nothing more than a man and a weak one at that. The first President Bush was a bit of a clerk in his manner. Ronald Reagan wore spurs, chaps, and a cowboy hat, and he came out of the West with the sun at his back. He walked the walk and stood in the shadow of hundreds of cowboy heroes; not super heroes, but the literary equivalent of brave, strong men on whom we have always counted. With Reagan it may have been an illusion, or, as some of us still believe, a delusion. But we always seem to need heroes to stand in for us, to stand up for us, to walk into the flames before us. We live in a culture that is patriarchal by design and perhaps by nature. Patriarchal and hierarchical. We choose a leader and that leader goes out and meets the enemy for us so that we can stay at home and live a comfortable life. And that leader has always tended to be male or at least a female who thinks the way a male does, in a vertical way, in the way of dominance and submission, of power and of strength, in the way of winning. […]
Mar 9th, 2009 by Mark Metcalf
Weekly Bookmarks – Monday, 09. March 2009
$25 million in federal funds will help bus system delay crisis – JSOnline Floating some big ideas – JSOnline news: Could stimulus money finally put high-speed rail to Madison on track? Spain’s High Speed Trains Faster Than Planes : NPR Milwaukee works to woo battery manufacturer Environmentalists question UWM land sale Park East developer wants more time – JSOnline Letter: Keep engineering school on UWM campus – JSOnline The Marquette Journal » ONLINE EXCLUSIVE: We get around: Student transportation options on Milwaukee Milwaukee Rising » Blog Archive » Weishan to seek delay in County Grounds deal The UWM Post News Blog » Blog Archive » Budget cuts hit UWM Removal of Estabrook Dam considered – JSOnline City targets Esser property for cleaning More buyer remorse lawsuits hit Park Lafayette – JSOnline Pabst parking structure gets $15 million in new markets tax credits – BizTimes Proposed Park East development has heavy community benefits emphasis – BizTimes Corcoran lofts to break ground on March 15 – BizTimes Racial divide on wage standards proposal – JSOnline I-94 gets big share of stimulus – JSOnline Council delays a flawed ordinance – JSOnline Stimulus to fund $529M in Wisconsin transportation projects – The Business Journal of Milwaukee: Dan Cody – “Left on the Lake” » Wauwatosa Common Council Votes Against Regional Transit 7-6 Feds approve $529 million in stimulus for Wisconsin tranportation projects – BizTimes Groups to lobby for changes to wage rules Best And Worst Cities For Commuters – Forbes.com Pabst parking structure gets $15 million in tax credits – JSOnline Council delays vote on wage standards for developers – JSOnline Kinnickinnic River could change in the next few years – JSOnline City Targets Esser Property For Cleaning Transit guards spend little time on buses – JSOnline
Mar 9th, 2009 by Dave Reid
Review and results from WMSE’s 2009 Rockabilly Chili Contest
Neither rain nor sleet nor snow – all three of which came down Sunday afternoon in Milwaukee – could deter droves of hungry people from this year’s premier showcase of some of the city’s best commercial chili recipes while listening to rocking hillbilly tunes. Over 35 area restaurants brought 10 to 15 gallons (or more) each of their original spicy creations to the Milwaukee School of Engineering’s Kern Center in hopes of bragging rights to title of “Best”. After running out of space at the Harbor Lights Room in 2007, the popular event was moved to the university grounds which is home to the host radio station. Organizers are now eyeballing the Field House upstairs for next year, which is big enough to host a regulation soccer game let alone a crowded chili contest. Concerns were even addressed as to the not-so-green nature of the event, which went through many barrels of 2 oz. sample cups, beer cups, and spoons – plus a ton of soda cans. MSOE has recycling containers at the event, but they were not self-evident. WMSE’s General Manager Tom Crawford says that each year the communication improves between organizers and the school on how they can make these things better and these issues were well known. As for the food, everyone brought their ‘A’ game to the contest – even the very few that seemed to show up just for the premium advertising. Many of the chefs expanded or focused previous entries by trying exotic spices or meat varieties. Others remained true to the formulas served currently at the eateries in which they worked. On a special note, it was a bit sad to see two of last year’s winners not around to defend their titles in the Champion’s Corner; both Annona Bistro (2008 Best Veggie Chili) and Great Northern BBQ Company (2008 Best Display) fell prey to economic times and have closed in the last eight months. Still, the representation remains strong from some of Milwaukee’s best restaurants, cafes, delis, and catering. Without further ado, here are the 2009 winners and runner-ups in four categories as decided through ballots turned in by public voters at the event: BEST DISPLAY Winner: McBob’s Bar and Grill Runner-Up: Brewed Café In an example of simple but elegant over epic, McBob’s display of designed welding helmets won out over Brewed’s Ed Roth-inspired racing display for a consecutive runner-up decision in two years. BEST HEAT Winner: Koppa’s Fulbeli Deli Runner-Up: Bremen Café In defense of their 2008 crown for the hottest chili, multiple award-winner Sarah Cordus of Koppa’s brought both a great meat and veggie chili. But it was no match for Bremen’s freshman entry, which boasted Naga Jolokia ghost peppers among 17 ingredients meant to scorch the mouth. Just the right amount was used to prevent real pain, but even two ounces had tasters reaching for beverages immediately. BEST VEGGIE CHILI Winner: Riverwest Co-op Runner-Up: Fuel Café Fuel Café has a beautiful standard red that’s served at the Riverwest hovel, but […]
Mar 8th, 2009 by Brian Jacobson
It’s your world, explore away.
As most people reading this know, we at Vital Media group were, until very recently, the publishers of VITAL Source Magazine. For seven years VITAL lived in print, found monthly on stands around the Milwaukee metro. Focusing mostly on arts and culture with some coverage of community initiatives and issues, VITAL was a great little mag that entertained about 30,000 people once every 30 days. There were addictive regular columns like SubVersions and REEL Milwaukee, locally authored comics and a puzzle page. We hosted some of the city’s most fun parties. But guess what? For all that we did right (and all that could have been done much better) it didn’t matter in the end. When the economic apocalypse hit last year, we knew by late December that it made no sense to hang on to our beloved, arcane publishing model. So we pulled the plug on the printed magazine, which garnered more attention in death than it ever had in life. Go figure. What transpired in the days that followed can best be called “a long story.” We’d had our new website in development for six months, but even though we were planning all sorts of new experiential features, it was still slated to be the turbo version of the traditional VITAL Source product. In hindsight, this would have garnered a resounding yawn from you and made us just another local website vying for ad dollars and reader eyes. And none of us needed seven more years of that. So, in a feat that I will go ahead and term derring-do, we sat down with a metaphorical clean sheet of paper and re-imagined ourselves from the ground up. We wanted to remain committed to our local audience, but from a broader horizon of interests and concerns. Of course, that’s just fancy marketing talk for wanting to offer more things of more compelling interest to more readers and include the ideas of more smart and interesting people. It’s not a revolutionary idea, by any means, but rather the Holy Grail for online publishers, an elusive recipe for the very elixir of life. On a broad scale, Slate and Salon do it right for newsies, as does Technorati for tech-types. These three sites (and others) author a great deal of their own content, but also pull in carefully selected feeds and stories from outside sources compatible with their audience’s interests. The result is a rodeo of voices, a veritable cornucopia of really good reading for folks with a certain set of interests. It’s kind of like the old portal idea from way back at the turn of the 21st century, but amped up with live feeds, sharing tools, social networking opps, video, podcasts and other stuff our (slightly) older siblings only dreamed about. We believe this model can fill a real need at the local level, at a time when worlds are colliding. On one side, most daily newspapers have moved too slowly to embrace the very real opportunities for high quality, […]
Mar 8th, 2009 by Jon Anne Willow
Upcoming Events for the Week of March 9th, 2009
Urban Milwaukee’s Upcoming Events & Meetings Calendar should help you keep up to date on important events effecting our neighborhoods, the City of Milwaukee, and our region. March 9, 2009 City Plan Commission Meeting March 9, 2009 9:00 am The City Plan Commission (CPC) is the City’s official planning body established under State statute and is responsible for master planning activities. The CPC advises the Common Council on a variety of land development issues including zoning map changes, revisions in the zoning ordinance, subdivision approvals, business improvement districts, street and alley vacations, public land […] March 10, 2009 Public Works Committee Meeting March 10, 2009 9:00 am The Public Works Committee is responsible for physical services provided by the city such as street and alley maintenance, waste collection, disposal and recycling, sewer, water and flood control projects, assessments, public buildings, land and waterways.Public Works Committee meetings start at 9:00 a.m. and are held in the Room 301-B, City Hall, unless otherwise noted. […] March 11, 2009 Milwaukee Green Roof Symposium March 11, 2009 8:30 am to 5:00 pm The workshop will provide an opportunity for participants to learn from local and national experts about the general design and implementation of green roofs. Regional case studies will be featured and afternoon focus group sessions will allow attendees the chance to identify with relevant city officials the local research needs and obstacles to implementation. […] March 12, 2009 Community & Economic Development Committee Meeting March 12, 2009 9:00 am The Community and Economic Development Committee hears matters relating to community development, block grants, job development, business improvement districts, city public relations, industrial land banks and revenue bonds, emerging business enterprises, recreation, cultural arts and the library system.The Community and Economic Development Committee meetings start at 9:00 pa.m. and are held in the Room 301-B, City Hall, unless otherwise noted. […] Great Lakes Urban Exchange Annual Conference March 12, 2009 to March 14, 2009 The post-industrial cities of the Great Lakes region are too similar to remain isolated from one another. GLUE is building the collaborative networks that our cities need, and enabling the exchange of information and ideas across those networks. In mid-March, GLUE is bringing the best part of its exchanging to the Cream City. […] March 15, 2009 Taxes, Trains and Brains March 15, 2009 4:00 pm Dave Wetzel will present his discussion: Taxes, Trains and BrainsMarch 15, 4pm, at Outpost Natural Foods Community Room, 2826 S. Kinnickinnic Ave. Questions\RSVP Contact Bill Sell at:email: sunrise@bikethehoan.com phone: 414-272-3787
Mar 8th, 2009 by Dave Reid
Sound the alarm
Close my blog now. OK, not NOW now, in like 2 minutes from now. Get up and git yourself back to the main page. Breathe. Take it in. This is for real. Unified, organized(ish), bleeding edge, here and now journalism. Your search is over. Explore the site. Explore Milwaukee. Explore our 3rd Coast. Milwaukee Film is alive and well with screenings galore. Film Wisconsin is bare-knuckle brawlin’ the Gov, which is in line with spirit of true indie film. More and more galleries/artists are VJ-ing, vlogging, adding film showcases … it’s so here and now, its practically reading this blog, with a drink, smiling, scrolling, click … Oh wait, that’s you. You may click away now. Now git!
Mar 7th, 2009 by Howie Goldklang
Community & Economic Development Committee Meeting
The Community and Economic Development Committee hears matters relating to community development, block grants, job development, business improvement districts, city public relations, industrial land banks and revenue bonds, emerging business enterprises, recreation, cultural arts and the library system. The Community and Economic Development Committee meetings start at 9:00 pa.m. and are held in the Room 301-B, City Hall, unless otherwise noted. Agenda
Mar 7th, 2009 by Dave Reid
